A New Look for Yahoo.ca's Users

August 3, 2006; 02:19 AM

Millions of Canadian internet users will Yahoo! in an entirely new way this week as Yahoo! Canada unveils the new yahoo.ca and Yahoo! Canada en Francais - part of the most comprehensive redesign in the company's history. The new homepage puts Yahoo!'s millions of Canadian users at the centre of their Web experience allowing them to search, share and communicate with friends easily while staying up-to-date on the latest news, trends and buzz about what's happening in Canada and the rest of the world.

"We're really excited about Yahoo! Canada's dynamic new front page," said Amy Gibson, Senior Front Page Product Manager. "We think it will provide users with a one-stop-shop to stay in touch with friends, search for information and stay plugged in with what's hot on the web. The new homepage has evolved to reflect new technologies and to cater to our users wants and needs."

Canadians spend an average of 13 hours per week online (Ipsos News Center, August 2005). Yahoo!'s new homepage encourages users to spend more time with Yahoo! having simplified access to the various tools users need to find out about current Canadian news, talk with friends and share information, music and more via the Web.


    What's fresh:

    -   Improved Personalization: The new Personal Assistant offers instant
        previews of mail and instant messenger contact status. Also, page
        options let users choose the format that is right for them (one can
        toggle between wide page and narrow page).
    -   More Community: The new Y! Pulse section brings social media onto the
        home page by leveraging community content from across the Y! network,
        examples include the new personal assistant and the Yahoo! Canada
        Answers top questions of the day.
    -   Enhanced Search: The search box is more prominent on the homepage
        simplifying user navigation and allowing for fast and easy access to
        information on the Web.
    -   Expanded Canadian Content: The new home page has more Canadian
        content than ever before. CBC provides hourly updates on news and
        events around Canada providing relevant content to our users.


Yahoo.ca now gives users more control. Taking a page from My Yahoo!, one of the world's most popular personalized start pages, the new yahoo.ca gives users a home page that is immediately more useful for them. The homepage delivers an interactive and easy-to-use experience to users via AJAX and DHTML technologies.

User feedback:

The Yahoo! Canada homepage was previewed by hundreds of Canadian users so that Yahoo! could get a snapshot of user satisfaction. Some users commented on the new "professional and polished" look, while others found the new site to be "fast and informative". Users for the most part found it "easy-to-follow and less cluttered" and especially enjoyed having the "news sections clearly displayed". Users were excited about the access to Yahoo! Canada Answers from the homepage.


About Yahoo! Canada

Yahoo! Canada Co. is a leading Internet destination that provides online products and services to meet the needs of Canadians and offers a range of tools and marketing solutions for businesses to connect with Internet users. Yahoo! Canada services Canadians in both English and in French through its sites, www.yahoo.ca and http://francais.yahoo.ca. Yahoo! Canada is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.

SOURCE: Yahoo! Canada